Draft-rigging for railroad-cars.



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DRAFT RIGGINGFOH RAILROAD CARS.

(Application led May 31, 1902.)

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w.i c. mamme. DRAF-T RIGEING FDR RAILROAD CARS.

(Application filed llyl 31, 1902.)

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` Suunto@ UNIrnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM C. MOINTIRE, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DRAFT-RIGGING FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,121, dated December 2, 1902.

Application led May 31,1902. Serial No. 109,717. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM @RANCH Mo- INTIRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for Railroad- Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in draw-bar or draftrigging attachments for railroad-cars, and particularly to that class in which coil-springs are employed to take up the shocks resulting from the bumping or pulling actions and as fully illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 666,969, granted to Thomas L. McKeen on the 28th day of January, 1901. In draft-riggings of the class referred to the springs are used single or in tandem and sometimes in triple arrangement, accordingly as they are designed for use with cars of increased weight, and as the weight'of cars has been materially increased under the rules of the Master Car-Builders Association it has been found diflicult, if not impossible, to provide springs having the necessary capacity to resist the bumping and pulling strains to which they are necessarily subjected. This difliculty has been overcome to some extent by the adoption of what is known as frictional draft-riggingappliances; but the employment of such devices involves increased cost of manufacture, a greater number of parts and correspondingly greater difculty in assembling the several parts, and in making repairs when needed.

My invention has for its object to adapt the ordinary coil-spring draft-rigging construction for use with cars of greater weight than they can be successfully used with according to their present construction and operation; and with this end in view my invention consists, broadly, in combining with a coil spring or springs means for Winding up or torsionally straining the spring or springs at the same time that they are subjected to longitudinal stress, so that their power of resistance is increased gradually during the bumping or pulling strains to which they are subjected.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may know how to make my improved draft-rigging and to fully understand its operation and advantages, I will proceed to describe the same, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section taken centrally of the side sills and drafttimbers of the construction shown and described in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to and with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the lineas @c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line y y of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of one end of one of the cheek-plates or housings, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the spring-followers. Similar letters of reference denote like parts in the severalgures of the drawings.

A represents the longitudinal car-sills, B the subsills, and O the end sill, of ordinary construction.

D is the shank of the draw-head, to which is secured the yoke E, within which are arranged single or tandem coil-springs F, as may be desired.

G represents spring-followers located at each end of the spring F, and H represents housings or cheek-plates secured in the ordinary manner to the longitudinal sills A and subsills B.

I I are carry-plates secured by suitable bolts I to vertical lugs l2 on the cheek-plates.

K is the filler or bridge of the yoke.

L represents end stops or vertical ribs on the cheek-plates.

M is a central rib or stop, and N represents intermediate stops adapted to limit the longitudinal movements of the spring-followers G, all of substantially the construction shown and described in the LettersPatent hereinbefore referred to.

I will now proceed to describe one manner of applying my invention to the construction referred to.

The spring-followers G are circular in form and are provided with diametric grooves or recesses O, adapted to receive inwardly-proj ecting' longitudinal ribs P on the cheek-plates l-I. These ribs I, on opposite sides of the folnels or pockets Q (see Fig. 5) in the spring-V followers Gr.

All other parts shown and not described are of the construction shown and described in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to.

From the construction described it will be seen that when a buffing strain is exerted the forward end followers are forced rearward,.

while the rear end followers are held against movement by their respective vertical stops on the cheek-plates and the relation between the ribs P on the said plates and the grooves or recesses 0 in the followers, and as the forward end followers move rearward to compress the springs F they are caused to rotate or oscillate, through the medium of the longitudinal helical :ribs P, on the cheek-plates and the diametric grooves O of the followers, and as the ends F of the springs are connected, as described, with the followers said springs are twisted or wound up gradually and progressively as the followers continue in their longitudinal movement. Said followers meet not only the resistance resulting from the compression of the coils of the spring, but also the resistance resulting from the torsional strain exerted upon the same. It will also be seen that the spring resistance neces' sarily and gradually increases as the forward end followers continue their longitudinal movement rearward, so that the nearer they approach to the limit of longitudinal compression the stronger the springs become in their power of resistance.

Under a pulling strain the forward end followers are supported against their respective stops on the cheek-plates, and the rear end followers are caused to travel longitudinally and to rotate or oscillate in the same manner as already described with reference to the forward end followers, and the springs are com pressed and subjected to torsional strain in the same manner. I

WhileI have shown a tandem arrangement of springs and followers, it will be understood that the same principle of construction and operation may be applied to a single-spring construction and likewise to a construction involving more than two springs in tandem or other arrangement. It will also be understood that in lieu of the ribs P on the cheekplates and the diametric channels or grooves O in the spring-followers said construction may be reversed and the ribs may be formed on the followers and helical grooves provided in the cheek-plates.

Any other mechanical construction may be employed which is adapted to produce a twisting or torsional strain upon the coil spring or 'springs during longitudinal compression of the same, and any and all details of construction with reference to means for this purpose or to the cheek-plates or housings, draw-bar yoke, and spring followers may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, which resides in the broad idea of combining with the spring or springs adapted to receive the bumping or pulling strains suitable means for Winding up or subjecting the spring or springs to torsional strain during their longitudinal or compressive movement.

While I have shown the usual arrangement of exterior and interior springs and with the exterior spring only adapted for torsional strain, it will be understood that both springs may be adapted to similar action.

While my invention is especially designed for use in connection with draft-rigging appliances for railroad-cars, it will be readily understood that ythe generic principle of said invention may be employed in any other construction where it may be desired to increase the spring resistance during longitudinal compression-as, for instance, in depot or yard bumping posts and in mechanism employed to take up the recoil of gun-carriages.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V l. In a draft-rigging, in combination with the springs and suitable external supports between the same and the draft-timbers, revoluble end followers connected with each end of the springs and located within the springsupports; and means for causing the end followers to move longitudinally and rotatively, substantially as and for the purpose set fortha 2. In a draft-rigging, in combination with the draft-timbers and housings secured thereto and adapted to support the springs, followers connected with the ends of the springs and means intermediate of the followers and the spring-housings for rotating the followers during their longitudinal movement, substantially as set forth.

3. In a draft-rigging for railroad-cars in combination with the draw-bar yoke and coiled spring or springs, rotatable end followers connected with the spring or springs, and means for causing the end followers to rotate and also travel longitudinally,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a draft-rigging for railroad-cars, in combination with the draft-timbers and housings secured thereto, and the draw-bar yoke,

springs and spring-followers, whereby the springs may be subjected to compression in a longitudinal direction, means for subjecting the springs to torsional strain coincidently with their longitudinal compression, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a draft-rigging attachment for railroad-cars, in combination with the draft-timbers and the housings or cheek-plates secured thereto and provided with vertical ribs or stops, and longitudinal helical ribs, one or more coil-springs and end followers arranged In testimony whereof I affix my signature within the draw-bar yoke, the spring-termiin presence of two witnesses.

nals extended longitudinally and seated Within the followers, and the followers provided WM C' MCINTIRE' with channels or grooves to receive the heli- Witnesses:

cal ribs of the housings or cheek-plates, snb- J NO. J. HARROWER,

stantially as and for the purpose set forth. W. M. HOLLS. 

